Mainstay: Skipper Harmanpreet missing matches did not help India’s cause.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
While most of the Indian men’s hockey team players and staff took a break after the disappointing outing in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, assistant coach Shivendra Singh landed straight back at the SAI Centre, Bengaluru.
As in-charge of the India-A side on its two-week tour of Europe against the top teams later this week, Shivendra will have a chance to put the lessons learnt to good use. He admitted that the Pro League was a disappointing campaign, but added there were things beyond control that contributed to it.
“We had issues right from the start. The original plan was to be together in Ireland and play three or four practice matches, develop a team plan and then go for the Pro League. But that didn’t happen. There were visa issues, five or six players and a staff member landed late directly for the competition. Travelling was staggered, some of them coming after the first couple of matches, and it disturbed the whole planning,” Shivendra told The Hindu.
Shivendra.
| Photo Credit:
FILE PHOTO: M. VEDHAN
“We didn’t have Lalit (Upadhyay) and Gurjant Singh for the initial games, and we had to rework the entire set-up. It was an unsettled start. It got better towards the end, and that was visible in our performances. So, given everything, it was ok,” he insisted.
Injuries didn’t help either, with captain Harmanpreet Singh missing matches and Gurjant returning almost immediately.
“Of course, it affects when the leader is not playing three to four matches. Harman got a back injury and was then hit on the finger. He couldn’t even hold the stick. We had limited resources, only four or five players in forward and barely any substitutes. Of course, none of it is an excuse, and everyone is disappointed; it was a good chance to qualify for the World Cup. But our focus now is completely on the Asia Cup at home,” he added.
Asked about the seven-match losing streak, Shivendra admitted it was a tough one to accept.
“We have to remember that, barring Argentina which surprised us, the rest are top three-four teams in the world. We know expectations are high from this team. Losing consecutive games does affect your confidence. But we try to ensure the pressure does not reach the players because that will only make things worse. We were also trying new ideas in these games, and there were positives,” he said.
About the India-A side, the former India striker said the main objective was to create a strong bench for the National side.
“The squad is a mix of seniors and juniors. A new player, even when training with the National team, cannot suddenly jump in for important competitions… he needs to adjust to that level. This tour will give these players an idea of the competition at the top,” he explained.
Published – July 01, 2025 06:20 pm IST
